Dad charged with abusing, fracturing skull of 4-month-old baby; threatened to kill mom if she told anyone (Winfield, West Virginia)

Four-Month Old Hurt, Father Charged with Abuse

Updated: Tue 9:54 PM, Nov 25, 2014
By: Anna Baxter

On Saturday, Jeremy Walker, 33, of Winfield, was arrested and charged with child abuse resulting in injury and child abuse creating risk of injury.

PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A father from Putnam County is facing charges after his baby was taken to the hospital with a head injury.

On Friday, Jeremy Walker, 33, of Winfield, was arrested and charged with child abuse resulting in injury and child abuse creating risk of injury.

Walker and the child's mother, took their four-month-old to CAMC Women and Children's Hospital on Oct. 29. As of Tuesday night, the baby was staying with family and awaiting surgery.

According to the criminal complaint, the baby arrived at the hospital with a skull fracture and her parents told Putnam County Sheriff's Deputies that their three year old son may have fallen off the couch onto the baby the night before.

The child had no prior medical issues, according to the complaint.

Deputies say a doctor determined that the child suffered "abusive head trauma" that could not have been caused by a 3-year-old falling on a 4-month-old. According to the complaint, the doctor suggested "the victim was hit or struck in a way that required an elevated amount of force to cause the level of injury the victim received."

In an another interview with the child's mother on Nov. 20, deputies say the mother admitted that she lied at the hospital when she brought her baby to get checked out.

According to the criminal complaint, the mother says on Oct. 29 she was lying in bed with her two other children when she woke up to Walker screaming. The mother told deputies that when she walked into the living room she saw Walker standing with an ax handle and her baby was in a car seat, according to the complaint.

Deputies say the mother noticed her baby had a head injury and she appeared limp. The mother told deputies Walker continued to carry on and told her she wasn't allowed to call 911 or family for assistance.

According to the complaint, the mother claims that Walker told her not to tell anyone what happened and threatened to kill her if she did. Deputies say Walker used a Play Station 4 to research head injuries and told her what to tell investigators and medical staff when they took the baby to the hospital. She says his plan was to suggest that their son fell on the baby.

Walker is in jail on a $250,000 bond. A spokesperson at Western Regional Jail tells WSAZ he was picked up on a warrant in Wayne County.

He's expected to be in court on Dec. 2 in Putnam County Magistrate Court.